1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic developing apparatus and a method in which a photosensitive material can be appropriately processed when a processing solution or a drying section is maintained at a predetermined set temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automatic developing apparatus in which a photosensitive material on which an image is exposed is processed in such a manner as to be immersed in processing solutions such as a developing solution, a fixing solution, and washing water, a drying section and these processing solutions are maintained within respective predetermined temperature ranges by heating means or cooling means so that the photosensitive material can be efficiently processed at the optimum quality. It is to be noted that hereinafter "processing solution" may be used to refer to any of these solutions.
In the automatic developing apparatus like the above, when an operating switch of the apparatus is turned on, a heater for heating the processing solution is actuated so that the temperature of the processing solution is set at a predetermined temperature (start-up processing). When the start-up processing is completed, the photosensitive material can be processed at the optimum quality. Further, the automatic developing apparatus is provided with the drying section for drying the photosensitive material after having been subjected to the processing by the processing solutions. In this drying section as well, the temperature of dry air is controlled so that the photosensitive material is brought into an appropriate dried state having no insufficient or over-dried state, and during the start-up processing an interior of the drying section is heated so that the photosensitive material can be appropriately dried by components within the drying section.
On the other hand, when the start-up processing begins with the operating switch of the automatic developing apparatus being turned on, the processing solution and the components within the drying section are in a cooled state in accordance with an environmental temperature at which the automatic developing apparatus is installed, and therefore, a lot of time is required for heating the processing solution and the components within the drying section up to the temperature which allows the photosensitive material to be appropriately processed. Further, in the automatic developing apparatus, when the temperature of the processing solution is detected and it is confirmed that the start-up processing has been completed, an indication is usually given, which informs that the apparatus has been brought into a state of allowing processing of the photosensitive material. In fact, an apparatus which cannot start processing of the photosensitive material until this indication is given is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,837.
Accordingly, for example, even in a case in which start-up of the automatic developing apparatus is effected for the reason that there arises a need of urgently processing the photosensitive material, since a timing at which start-up of the automatic developing apparatus is completed and processing of the photosensitive material can be started is not clearly determined, an operator should be constantly in the vicinity of the automatic developing apparatus until the start-up processing is completed and other operations may be affected thereby. As a result, operating efficiency may deteriorate. Further, when the photosensitive material is mistakenly inserted in the automatic developing apparatus before the start-up processing is completed, a finished quality of the photosensitive material may be dissatisfactory.